She's Real To Me
by HoldOn-ShutUp
Summary: "The greatest things in life are left unseen. So we close our eyes when we kiss, cry, or dream."
1. Chapter 1

She slowly looks down at the girl sitting Indian-style on the floor. The girl's light brown hair hangs in ringlets around her pudgy face and the guarded blue eyes study the confused child above her, sitting on the bed.

"Tori!" The girl's mom shouts from down stairs, voice muffled but loud. Soon footsteps are heard and the door flies open.

The child doesn't move.

"Tori. I've been calling and calling you. Come down stairs, dinner's ready… What are you looking at?" Mrs. Vega asks, turning her head toward the direction her daughter was facing. Tori tears her eyes away from the blue ones that are trained on hers and looks at her mother.

"Who's she, mommy?" Tori asks, referring to the girl sitting cross-legged on her floor.

"Who? There's no one in here besides you and I, Tori." Mrs. Vega had been prepared for her daughter to go through the clichéd 'Imaginary Friend phase', but she hadn't known that her daughter would act so strangely about it.

"Yes there is. She's sitting right there. On the rug." Tori informs her mother as her large brown, childlike eyes once again focus on the girl on the floor that her mother couldn't see.

"We'll talk about this later, okay? Just come down stairs. Your food's getting cold."

"Can she come too? She looks really hungry." Tori asked hopefully.

Something about the girl seemed different. Odd.

"Tori come on." Her mother says, sharper than before.

"One second mommy, I gotta find my house-shoes." Tori excuses to get her mother to leave.

"Alright. Hurry." Mrs. Vega replies as she makes her way down the stairs.

"Tori" The girl said, blue eyes shining.

"You're not real. Mommy can't see you." Tori stated with a gentle frown creasing the skin between her eyebrows.

"How do you know? Maybe my mom can't see you either." The other girl said, slightly offended. She gave a half smile and walked through Tori's bedroom door. "Gotta go. I'll see ya later." She said with a smile before leaving. Mrs. Vega never even heard the door close.

* * *

She walks into pre-school on Monday, dressed in her favorite shirt and the skirt her mother picked out for her. The bright halls were donned in colorful pictures and paintings of farm animals, numbers, the alphabet, as well as a few less than artistic self-portraits the children had drawn.

The small child clutches onto her mothers hand, her father having left for work before she was awake, and walked into the classroom full of unfamiliar faces. The teacher greeted her just as she had any other student and Tori's mother left her alone to fend for herself.

The half-Latina turned and sat on the rug with the other kids, and her eyes landed on bright blue ones. Tori wasn't quite sure if she should acknowledge her or not, given that her mother couldn't see her.

But maybe it was just her mother, and everyone else could see the other girl. Tori nodded slightly to herself, making sense in her mind and waved at the brunette.

The blue eyed girl waved back, smiling cheekily.

"Hey Tori." She smirked, small hands picking at the rug. Tori uttered a hesitant hello, looking around to make sure she wasn't the only one. She couldn't see not one other pair of bright innocent eyes on the mysterious girl.

She swallowed, frowning slightly and looked back over at the girl before raising her hand.

"Yes Miss Vega?" the heavy-set teacher acknowledged with a ridiculously bright smile. The whole class turned their eyes on her and she looked down nervously.

"You have ghosts." She muttered, and Ms. Greensdayle's jaw dropped just the smallest amount.

"Pardon?" she asked, nervously eying the other students to make sure no one ended up a terrified, hysterical, mess.

The pale little girl outright laughed at Tori's assumption, clutching with small hands at her sides. Apparently this was one of the most hilarious things she had ever heard.

Tori huffed indignantly at the blue eyed girl's blatant teasing and dropped her eyes once more.

"I'm not a ghost, stupid. I'm in your imagination." She smiled slyly, scooting over and sitting beside the half-Latina.

Tori frowned in confusion and looked up at her teacher, avoiding the scrutinizing gaze of her young classmates. "Nevermind." She sighed and looked over at the adorable little kid her mind had conjured up.

Maybe if she could make an imaginary friend without even trying, they could be best friends too. The thought made Tori smile and actually pay attention when the Ms. Greensdayle began to teach them the alphabet.

* * *

When Tori Vega turned five, she played with the Raggedy Ann Jade had told her to ask for. Jade was what her friend said her name was. At first Tori was confused.

"Aren't I supposed to name my own imaginary friend?" she asked, biting her lip in fear that Jade would call her stupid for speaking her opinion.

"No, because I don't want you to name me and for the last time, just because I'm in your imagination, doesn't mean I'm your friend." Jade said, carving fangs into the doll with the tip of a pen. Tori flinched slightly and dropped her gaze to her hands.

"Then why do you hang out with me all the time?" she asked.

"Because, Stupid. I'm _your_ imagination. I _have_ to be here all the time." She rolled her eyes and tossed the freshly vamped-out doll back to Tori.

"Happy birthday." She said quietly and leaned back against the side of the bed.

With time, Jade had grown much like Tori had. They were neck and neck with their height and Jade's eyes seemed to get bluer as the years went on. Tori's mother walked in her bedroom, mouth already open to ask Tori what she wanted for dinner but ended up asking a different question instead.

"Tori! What on earth did you do to the doll grandma got you?" she yelled.

Tori frantically looked from her mother, to the doll, to Jade and frowned, trying not to cry like she always had to refrain from doing when her mother yelled at her.

"I didn't do that!" she defended, her eyes pleading for Mrs. Vega to believe her.

Tori's mother shook her head and took a deep breath, her gaze disappointed.

"You're in time out. Turn off the T.V and don't come out until I say so." She growled and stormed out, closing the door behind her. Tori slowly began to cry, her eyes tearing up until they brimmed over, falling on her tanned cheeks and sliding down her face to drip onto the doll's eyes.

Jade pulled Tori up and sat on the bed with her, arms wrapped around the girl whose mind had created her.

"I'm sorry Tori." She mumbled, laying her head on her shoulder.

Tori could never stay mad at Jade.

* * *

**AN: Just an idea I had. If anyone would like for me to continue, just let me know :) **

**If so, the chapters won't be long, however they'd be short and updated frequently instead of lengthy and updated like, every three weeks...**

**Suggestions? Comments? Let me know.**


	2. Chapter 2

At seven years old, she realized that she had a problem. She and Jade would often engage in conversation, seeing as though Jade was the closest thing she had to a friend. Tori was painfully shy, not to mention people already thought she was weird.

She talked to herself. That is what the other kids saw, the teachers thought it odd and contacted her parents, which all eventually led to Mrs. Vega yelling at her daughter about how she was too old to be talking to imaginary friends.

When Tori stressed that Jade was _not_ imaginary, that she was too real to be fake, her mother gave up. She accepted the fact that her first child, Trina, was to be the favorite and that Tori would be the basket-case.

Unfortunately the way things worked around the Vega household were flawed to say the least.

Tori sat on her bed, messing with the dress of the same Raggedy Ann doll she had received two years prior while Jade played with her hair.

"Jade?" Tori's soft and hesitant voice rang out in the silence.

"What?" the girl answered, stopping her playing and looking at Tori.

"If I wanted you to… could you go away?"

Jade's face scrunched in a frown, "Do you want me to?" she asked, slightly offended.

"No! I just… mommy doesn't like me anymore and daddy's never here. Maybe that's 'cause you're here." She said the last part quietly, looking down at her doll.

Jade dropped her hands and scowled at Tori. "I'm all you have Tori. If I leave, then you're nothing."

She looks away from Jade, flipping the cover over and getting under, turning her back to Jade.

"Goodnight Jade." She whispered and closed her eyes. She thought she had heard Jade apologize, but maybe it was just a dream.

* * *

When she was thirteen, Tori realized that to get back into her parents good graces, as well as rebuild her social status, it was best if she lied about her little 'quirk'. So she did. To everyone else, Tori Vega was new and improved.

Gone was her odd habit of talking to air and here was the girl with long, wavy brown hair and gorgeous brown eyes. High cheekbones to die for and tanned skin that girls envied. Jade had grown as well, not that anyone but Tori could see it.

Her auburn hair fell in loose ringlets down her back, her blue eyes suddenly infused with gray and specks of hazel; pale skin that looked as if it belonged to a creature of the night, and the attitude to match.

Jade slowly grew bitter with each passing day, being ignored because Tori thought that if she didn't pay her any attention, then she'd go away.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Jade was a bit stronger than she was at first.

When she first came into existence –or non existence she was able to physically move objects. Now she could do things that only Tori would feel or see such as little gusts of wind that caught her off-guard.

Anything to get Tori's attention, Jade did it. However this went on for several months before she couldn't take it any longer. Jade yelled and screamed and thrashed around Tori's bedroom all night before school, either Tori acknowledge her, or she didn't get sleep.

Tori chose the latter. Jade kept it up, night after night, quickly growing desperate. She snapped. Tori's room looked as if a tornado had struck when Jade was done. Her dresser flipped over, her sheets tangled and on the floor, her drapes ripped to shreds… and Tori lost it.

She raged at Jade to the silent horror of her parents and sister. To watch ones own child yell so angrily at nothing, made her mother's stomach curl. Maybe this imaginary friend was real if Tori hadn't even been home when this happened.

The girl was afraid. She thought that Jade had to be with her at all times, but now she could go off on her own and still mess with her from there.

Jade cried for the first time that day… and the tears shone on the floor for everyone to see after Jade had disappeared.

Three years had gone by without Jade and Tori was feeling better about it as time went on. At first she resented herself for making the only friend she had disappear then later realized that now she could be best friends with someone real.

* * *

At sixteen, Tori was at the top of her game. Most popular, mostly straight A's and her parent's favorite once more. When the new school year started, that was when she saw her.

Jade West walking through the doors of Hollywood Arts high school as if she owned the place.

People parted for her to walk through, combat boots, leather jacket and all. She passed Tori in the hallway without a second glance, flipping her onyx hair over her shoulder and walking to her locker.

"Who is _that_?" Beck asks from behind her, causing Tori to jump slightly and turn to look at him.

"I… I'm not sure." She mutters nervously, walking around the row of lockers her own was located in and went to the other side.

Jade talks passively with Tori's own friend, Cat Valentine.

"Hey, do you know what happens when you put Skittles in water?" The redhead asks, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"What?" Jade asks in a monotone, grabbing books from her locker.

"I don't know, I was hoping you did!" Cat says loudly and from the sound of it, extremely disappointed. Tori shakes her head slowly, watching like everyone else who buzzed with excitement about the new girl.

"Hollywood Arts: Chicago said she was the best they had!" Gushes a multicolored haired girl behind her to a friend.

"Chicago?" Tori mutters to herself.

André and Robbie walk over to see what the commotion was about.

"Hey, what's all this ruckus for?" Robbie inquires, excited about any form of gossip buzzing through the school.

"Yeah, we could hear people fangirlin' from the end of the hall." André chuckles.

Tori shakes her head again, completely speechless. Her gaze was locked on Jade, positive that it was the same girl from three years ago. That she'd grown up with.

"Jade?" she finally spoke, causing those blue-gray eyes to shoot to her.

"Can I help you?" Jade asks, looking down on Tori with a slight disdainful sneer.

"N-no… I mean, yes. Have you seen me before?" she wonders.

"No." Jade snaps and slams her locker shut, brushing past Tori and leaving Cat in the middle of her sentence.

So it was Jade… and now she hated her.

* * *

**A/N: Here's the next chapter and the end of Part 1. Comments, suggestions, ideas, opinions are all welcome. Please don't hesitate to let me know because I'll try to incorporate them into the next chapters. Part 2 will consist more of an actual story instead of brief summaries of their lives throughout the years.**

**Thanks for reading, Loves :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 2**

The rain falls angrily, forcing its own beat against your bedroom window. It doesn't rain often, but when it does you are prepared for a deep sleep that night. Unfortunately this is not one of those times.

You toss restlessly, limbs tangled within the silky maroon sheets that you so shamelessly demanded for your seventeenth birthday and end up on your stomach. Dyed black hair mats against your pale forehead with sweat and you swear that your lungs are being forced from inside of your body out through your throat.

A gut wrenching cough tears through you once more, yet this is more than a simple cold, or the flue for that matter. You know it has something to do with Vega. You gag faintly and push yourself up on your elbows, resting your head on your fists.

Being withdrawn from her mind since she's seen you has left you weak and your arms shake slightly before you plop back down on your stomach, hiding your face in your pillow.

You almost hate her for this. For having such and effect on your health. It's not as if you were a real person anyway, just a powerful hallucination that affected everyone unless their mind was strong enough to fight you.

Not a single person has succeeded… besides Tori all those years ago. Rolling over on your side, you carefully swing your legs over the edge of your bed and stand, your arm wrapped around your torso as if to keep from falling apart.

You drag your feet toward the window and wrench it open, letting the wind blow the rain into your face. Breathing a little better, you lift one leg up and out, pushing yourself through with your other.

The rain nearly causes you to slip but you climb off of the roof and jump down into the garden, sliding slightly in the soggy grass. Your feet are no longer controlled by your brain and you take off running.

The sharp air hits your lungs and clears your foggy mind. Skidding to a stop after running so long that your feet ache, you look up and realized that you subconsciously brought yourself straight to the Vega residence.

Panting softly with the exertion, you lean on their front door not knowing whether or not you'd knock. Mumbling to yourself, you settle for ringing the doorbell like a semi-civilized human being and sigh in regret when you hear someone opening the door.

You figure that it's too late to duck out of sight and Mrs. Vega answers the door with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, why are you here at three o'clock in the morning? Who are you?" she demands and you shrink back a bit.

"I need to talk to Tori." You respond.

The chill seeps through your sleep shirt and you realize that you should have grabbed a jacket. Or at least put on some shoes. Sighing, you rub your arms for warmth while you wait for the verdict.

"Can it wait?" she asks, seeming irritated.

"I'll be quick, I swear." You promise and breathe out in relief when she steps out of the way to let you in. Knowing the place by heart, you make your way up the stairs and push open the door to Tori's bedroom.

She sits up on her bed, looking at you with wide eyes and you almost wish you hadn't come in the first place.

"Jade… what are you doing here?" she asks, twisting the covers around her hands nervously.

You move further inside of the room and gently close the door behind you.

Making your way over to her and sitting down on the edge of her bed, she throws the covers back and climbs over to sit closer since you won't go any further.

Your lungs fill with air as you breathe in deep and you're not quite sure what you're supposed to say. Finally you look over at her, the girl who kicked you out of your mind, and suddenly you're furious.

Your fists ball up on either side of you and the powerful urge to slam something against the wall takes over. Shooting up from your spot on the bed, and nearly knocking her over in the process, you begin pacing.

Right left right, turn. Right left right, turn.

A familiar warmth encompasses your left hand and you look down to see that Tori is gently tugging you to sit back down.

"Jade… listen, I know you're mad-"

"Mad? You know I'm _mad_, Tori? How about livid, _furious_ even? I trusted you because you made me. Alright? And then ditched me to be normal because your train wreck of a family kept breathing down your throat about how messed up and psychotic you were. Still are, really. You think I'm a real person? I'm a god damn figure of _everyone's_ imagination! And yet I can't even be my own person because my health and thoughts and opinions are based off of everything _you_ created!"

By then you're screaming and she won't let go of your hand.

You're leaning over her while she sits and tearfully listens to you rant. Your anger dies down to a bearable level where you can breathe again and you slump down to the floor, your back against the bed beside her feet.

"How does someone come to terms with the fact that they're nonexistent?" You whisper, voice tired from yelling.

Her thumb strokes over the back of your hand and she opens her mouth to speak.

"Jade… you were always real to me. You were so real that you scared the hell out of me and I admit that I didn't want you around anymore so I wished you away." She murmurs, looking down at your hand.

Sighing she begins again, "I just wanted you to like me."

Startled, you look up and her eyes don't meet yours. "What?" You ask, more confused than before.

"It seemed like you couldn't stand to say anything nice to me and I thought that maybe I was crazy enough to think up my own worst enemy."

Shaking your head, you stand and sit down beside her. "Tori, your mind made me all the things that you wanted to be. You wanted to be the snarky bad-ass with piercings and the hot boyfriend."

"You wanted to shut other people down that weren't at your level. You wanted to be able to scream and yell and kick at anyone and anything and not get in trouble for it because everyone feared you."

"What I am now, is who you would've been if you hadn't have listened to your parents and what everyone else wanted you to be." You watch her watch you in wonder and then suddenly her arms are around your neck and she's hugging you too tightly, face buried in your shoulder. Your lips quirk up in the barest hints of a smile and you hug her back.

Now that she's realized what she wants to be and who she is supposed to become, she doesn't need you any longer. You begin to fade from her embrace and her eyes snap open, "Jade?" she asks, slightly panicked.

"I'm glad you made me Tori." You admit and she looks up at you with teary eyes.

"Don't."

"Don't what?" You ask her, pulling away enough to see her face.

"Don't say goodbye. Wherever you go... I know I'll see you again." She says and smiles, letting a tear fall.

You wish that you hadn't lost three years of being with her but realize that you just might see her again one day, and that's enough for you to leave without sadness as well as any evidence that you were there in the first place.

_The End._

* * *

**A/N: **And that's the end :) Thank all of you for reading and reviewing, if you'd like a sequel just let me know and I'll try and come up with something. Or you can leave me your ideas in a PM or Review, either is fine.


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